The Fire Department of New York City, in partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, has commissioned CR Studio Architects to create a new Marine 1 boathouse on the Hudson River in Manhattan. Construction on the new building is well underway in the West Village on Pier 53, and once built it will be a shining green statement for the city. The structure will have to withstand the constant pressures of being out at sea on the Hudson, and it will sport a zinc exterior to help protect it from the elements. Inside it will spare no green feature — from passive ventilation to low-VOC materials to the maximization of daylight, this building will be low impact on the earth and high impact on the eyes.

Photo courtesy of CR Studio

When the City of New York commissioned the building, they set strict sustainability guidelines for CR Studio to follow. They’ve followed them quite nicely in every inch of their design. All appliances and equipment in the building will be Energy Star-certified, they’ve created a passive ventilation system that minimizes need for air conditioning and electricity usage, and the building features a complete set of energy-efficient lighting. They’ve used recycled materials in their concrete mix and used locally sourced materials to divert as much as they can from the landfill and minimize material transportation emissions.

In addition to all the gadgets and gizmos, the building’s facade itself is meant to act as an environmentally-friendly feature. The north side of the building acts as a protective wind break, and “the form of the building splays outwards to catch light reflected off the river below as well as allowing directed lighting for the night-time response requirements.” The large windows accept daylight throughout the sun’s path while pulling in reflections off the river for extra brightness. With all of the green initiatives happening in New York City right now, it’s nice to see that this trend is seeping into their buildings as well. Marine 1’s zinc facade will be a shining sign of NYC’s green future.